BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan, Sept 15 (AFP) - Hole-by-hole look at Oakland Hills Country Club 7,077-yard layout for the 35th Ryder Cuop matches that begin here Friday:
First, 435-yard par 4: An elevated tee into a bunker-flanked landing area. Prevailing tailwind will aid short-iron approach to undulating green.
Second, 519-yard par 5: Slight dogleg left with bunkers pinching the landing zone and four more fronting a green with a center crown to perplex putters. Reachable for birdies and more.
Third, 198-yard par 3: A deep, narrow green runs diagonally left to right with the green narrowing to a small terrace that makes pin placements tougher the farther back they are on the green.
Fourth, 430-yard par 4: Some players will cut the corner of this slight dogleg left, well bunkered with two on the right and four on the inside. A ridge runs along the green's left side to make reading putts an adventure.
Fifth, 455-yard par 4: Trees guard the fairway's left side and a creek cuts across the fairway 300 yards off the tee. Difficult green very fast back to front. A bunker and overhanging elm tree add to the woes of front right pins.
Sixth, 356-yard par 4: Shortest par-4 has bunkers left of the landing area and more surrounding the green, a two-tier devil mandating a short-iron into a landing area barely 12 yards wide. Attempts to drive the green can make it fun.
Seventh, 411-yard par 4: Slight sogleg left with three bunkers down left landing area. Fairway slopes downhill toward a pond before a long, narrow green flanked by bunkers. Left-side pins will be trickiest.
Eighth, 482-yard par 4: Front-nine's toughest hole features tight drive to bunker-pinched fairway to an uphill approach with a long iron to a huge slope-spotted green flanked by bunkers.
Ninth, 220-yard par 3: Longest par-3 at Oakland Hills has a large, undulating green that slopes back to front. Left front and back right are guarded by bunkers for toughest pin placements.
10th, 453-yard par 4: Elevated tee to a bunkered landing zone with a steep slant beyond the sand that can send the ball into thick rough. A mid-iron approach is uphill to a green sloping front to back with a deep right bunker.
11th, 423-yard par 4: An elevated tee into a valley with a hill 270 yards out that must be carried and bunkers guarding the sides. Club selection key to a green with a back tier four feet higher than the front.
12th, 560-yard par 5: The longest hole on the course with a tee 40 feet above the landing area. Hole bends right with trees guarding right side and bunkers on the left. Three deep bunkers front the green for those gamblers who start left trying to reach the green in two. A ridge in the green runs back left to front right.
13th, 162-yard par 3: Slightly elevated green with slope in the back and large hollow in the front. Pins on the upper plateau will be hard to attack.
14th, 473-yard par 4: Trees guard the bunker-free fairway, narrowed for the Cup. Green falls away with a swale front right to back left. Bunkers protect front left and right raised plateaus.
15th, 400-yard par 4: Left dogleg features a bunker in the middle of the fairway 240 yards off the tee and trees pinching the edges. Cutting the gap is a gamble a trailing player might attempt. Plenty of bunkers guard an inverted saucer-shaped green.
16th, 406-yard par 4: Dogleg right with water forcing players left into fairway, but not so far to get into the trees. Intimidating second shot, a short-iron approach to a shallow, wide green protected by water right and front. Going long to escape water brings four rear bunkers into the mix.
17th, 200-yard par 3: Uphill green 30 feet above tee is guarded on all sides by deep bunkers. Severe slopes on green include diagonal ridge front right to back center. Back right pin placements make for a demanding test.
18th, 494-yard par 4: Long dogleg right has most demanding tee shot on the course as fairway slopes left toward out of bounds with bunkers guarding right side. A mid-iron second shot is slightly uphill to a shallow green guarded by four bunkers. A mound in the center of the green will create difficult putts unless approaches land on the same side as the cup. If a match gets here, it's going to have a thrilling finish.